To welcome King Mahabali, a kind and beloved king who, according to Hindu legend, was exiled to the underworld by Lord Vishnu (in his Vamana incarnation), Onam is observed. However, King Mahabali was granted the wish to return to Kerala each year. Typically, a male will dress up like Mahabali the Great. A teacher chose to dress up as King Mahabali this year in Muhamma village in Alappuzha, Kerala, and the resulting video has gone viral. Keralites celebrated Onam on August 29 with pomp and revelry by donning traditional attire, preparing lavish feasts, and putting colorful floral carpets in the courtyards. People traveled through villages and towns early in the morning to visit temples on "Thiru Onam," the most auspicious day of the 10-day festival.
